Award-winning pies are in the offing for Manchester’s hip Kampus neighbourhood as the Great North Pie Co has announced it will be opening a pie and mash café at the site this spring.

The cafe is the first business announced for the newly refurbed Little David Street, a quaint cobbled street - believed to be one of the city’s few remaining - which has previously been closed for decades.

It had to be somewhere intimate and cosy and Kampus really nails that laid back vibe. We’ll be keeping things simple, just great northern pies and mash, with loads of gravy, and a few beers.

Diners can expect the piemaker’s award-winning pie range, with sides like mash, gravy and mushy peas, alongside matching beers and a full drinks menu. The cafe is the third location for Great North Pie Co which also has outposts in Altrincham and Ambleside in the Lake District. It joins fellow indies including the likes of Nell’s, General Store, Pollen and The Beeswing at the development, which sits opposite the canal from the gay village.

A Birds Eye View Of The Chicken And Mushroom Great North Pie Co Pie At The One O Clock Gun At Liverpools Royal Albert Dock — **A Great North Pie Co pie spotted in the wild, complete with mash and gravy** Image: Confidentials

Tasty pies on secret streets

A stalwart of the British pie scene, the Great North Pie Co brings with it serious pastry and filling credentials. A nine-time category award winner and previously crowned best pie in Britain at the British Pie Awards (read: The Pie Oscars), plaudits have also come courtesy of the BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards and Observer Food Monthly.

Some (read, us) have gone as far as describing Great North Pie Co’s work as “the best pie and mash ever.”

A View Of The Kampus Neighbourhood From Little David Street In Manchester Which Will Bring Shops Bars And Restaurants To The Area — **Serious New York vibes from Little David Street with its red brickwork and iron fire escapes** Image: Confidentials

The piemaker’s current filling roster, which changes seasonally and concentrates on local produce, includes the likes of beef mince and onion, roast chicken and ham, classic Lancashire cheese and onion, and spinach and cheese. Great North also has previous for collaborative specials, working with the likes of Mary Ellen McTague, Mughli and Grandad’s Sausages.

The cafe is set to open from 9am until late (breakfast pie anyone?) and will bring outdoor seating to the so-called “secret street” which is set to be abuzz with bars, cafes and shops. The large space will take up one of the corner units nearest The Bungalow, currently home to Breadflower, and will hopefully offer seating facing the courtyard garden too.

If the other Great North Pie Co sites are anything to go by, pie lovers can expect beers from the likes of Manchester Union Lager as well as guest brewers including Fell, Mobberley Brewhouse or cider from Macclesfield-based SiDa.

The Side Of The Great North Pie Co Site At Kampus In Manchester Which Looks Out At The Courtyard And Has Ample Space For Seating — **Lots of space next to the courtyard for pies with views** Image: Confidentials

Living the pie life

Founded by husband and wife team Neil and Sarah Broomfield, Great North Pie Co started life a decade ago making pies in their Cheshire kitchen for farmers markets. The business has since gone from a modest operation to one of the region's most celebrated and respected food producers.

Piemaker and owner Neil Broomfield said:

“Since we started out making pies at home for farmers markets, we’ve always wanted a base in the city centre. We'd been looking for a while and as soon as we saw Kampus we knew it was the right place for us. It had to be somewhere intimate and cosy and Kampus really nails that laid back vibe. We’ll be keeping things simple, just great northern pies and mash, with loads of gravy, and a few beers. The Kampus gardens are one of the nicest places to come and sit in Manchester and with the mix of independent traders that are coming, it’ll be an amazing community to be part of."

Shops Cafes And Bars Are Set To Join The Little David Street Lineup At Manchesters Kampus Development — **Great North Pie Co have taken the plunge on Little David Street, but who will join them?** Image: Confidentials

Adam Brady from Kampus developer HBD said:

“Great North Pie is something of an institution when it comes to pie and mash and it’s amazing to welcome them to the Kampus community. They’re the first to sign up at Little David Street which will have cafes, bars and shops all spilling out onto the beautiful cobbles, giving it an almost European feel. It’s exciting to see how the Kampus neighbourhood is growing, whether you live here or not there’ll be something for everyone, and there’s lots more to come. There’s really going to be nowhere else like it in the city.”

New developments are set to breathe life back into Little David Street. The so-called "secret street", reminiscent of New York with its fire escapes and red brickwork has been given a full glow up retaining original brick and ironwork. The street is part of a wider restoration project by HBD and Capital & Centric that has restored nearby buildings including the Minshull and Minto & Turner warehouses, the latter a Grade II listed building.

Great North Pie Co, Little David Street, M1 3FY

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